Enter the DC Lobbyists as Austin Gets More Fleas from Uber

Uber’s attempt to enter the Austin market is becoming the proverbial cautionary tale for what can happen to an otherwise cool, live and let live city’s way of life when Silicon Valley’s tech bully boys descend on the town. And decide to spend whatever it takes to get their way.

Early voting begins today on a ballot initiative paid for by Uber and Lyft, and it’s becoming blatantly apparent that Lyft may have the wrong style mustache on their cars (h/t Mike Godwin). The ballot initiative would replace a duly enacted regulation of the Austin City Council to require fingerprinting of Uber and Lyft drivers with a new regulation drafted by the billion dollar corporations that would strike the fingerprinting requirement.

According to the Austin-American Statesman, taxi drivers, limo drivers and other public transportation operators also have to undergo fingerprint-based background checks.